Shameless

The New Jersey Supreme Court has disbarred an attorney who “shamelessly” misappropriated trust funds.

The Disciplinary Review Board report

 The record clearly establishes that respondent systematically helped himself to trust funds either to suit his own personal needs or those of other clients or third parties. What is clear is that he did so shamelessly, without authorization, and to the substantial detriment of those clients and third parties. For this, he must be disbarred. In light of our finding, there is no need   to address respondent’s additional ethics violations.

Details

 On multiple occasions, even when given “credit” for hundreds of thousands of dollars of trust funds that he already had misappropriated, as detailed under counts two through seven above, respondent’s trust account fell well below the balance that he was required to maintain in behalf of his clients and/or third parties. Between June 30, 2012 and September 30, 2013, respondent’s trust account was short in amounts varying between at least $86,468 and $138,943. All of these shortages were caused by respondent’s unauthorized use of funds belonging to his clients and/or third parties whom he served in a fiduciary capacity.

The DRB rejected his “bank error” explanation. (Mike Frisch)